This document claims priority and contains subject matter related to Japanese Patent Application No. 11-080918 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Mar. 25, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital camera that stores image information obtained by an imaging device in a recording medium, and more particularly to a digital camera which is compact and has the convenience of portability.
2. Discussion of the Background
A camera using a photographic film (i.e. a silver halide film camera) has been generally used for photography. Recently, digital cameras have become increasingly widespread. In the digital cameras, object images, such as static images (still images) and moving images (movie images), are photographed by a solid-state imaging device, such as a charged coupled device (CCD) or the like, and image data of the object image are obtained and digitally recorded in a recording medium such as an IC (integrated circuit) card, a printed circuit (PC) card with semiconductor memory, a video floppy disk, or the like.
In the above-described digital camera, almost all functions, except for optical sub-systems, are digitally performed, including basic photographing functions, add-on accessory functions, etc. Because image data is digitally recorded in the recording medium instead of a photographic film, spaces for a film feeding unit and a film winding mechanism are not necessary in the digital camera. Therefore, a layout of each functional element of the digital camera can be more flexibly made, and the size of the digital camera can be more compact than that of the camera using a photographic film. Moreover, operability, portability, and appearance of digital camera can be enhanced by contriving to appropriately design the layout of each element of the digital camera.
Because a camera is usually equipped as a portable device for photographing various events, demand for a compact camera has increased. For example, the xe2x80x9cone-time-use cameraxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cdisposal cameraxe2x80x9d using a photographic film has come into widespread use. This type of camera is made handy, and low in cost by reducing functions of the camera.
Similarly, with the widespread use of the digital camera, there is an increasing demand for a handy, portable, and low-cost digital camera.
In order to reduce the size of the digital camera, main elements of the digital camera need to be miniaturized including a photographic optical system, an imaging device, a recording medium, a digital circuit unit, a power supply battery, etc. Moreover, a viewfinder for confirming a photographing range, which is likely to occupy a relatively large space in the digital camera, also needs to be compact in the digital camera.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a novel digital camera which is compact and has the convenience of portability.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel digital camera which has a simple configuration and is low in cost.
The digital camera of the present invention includes a camera body having a main surface and a lens surface substantially orthogonal to the main surface, a photographic lens of a photographic optical system, the photographic lens positioned on the lense surface, and an optical viewfinder unit rotatably attached to the main surface such that the optical viewfinder unit is rotatable to a position substantially orthogonal to the main surface and in a plane substantially parallel to the lens surface.
In one embodiment, the optical viewfinder unit includes a planar structure having a square shaped optical viewfinder window which serves as a field frame for defining a range of an object image, the main surface includes first and second opposing edges and the optical viewfinder unit is rotatably attached to the main surface at an axis parallel to and in the vicinity of the second edge, and a length and width of the optical viewfinder window are set according to a field angle of the photographic lens and a width of the camera body defined by a distance from the first edge to the second edge of the main surface.
In another embodiment, the digital camera further includes a view plate rotatably attached to the main surface at an axis in the vicinity of the first edge such that the view plate is moveable to a position substantially orthogonal to the main surface and substantially parallel to the surface of the optical viewfinder window, the view plate having a hole positioned such that a center of the hole is substantially in line with an orthogonal line extending from a center of the optical viewfinder window.
In yet another embodiment, the optical viewfinder unit includes a planar structure having a square shaped optical viewfinder window, at least one transparent member positioned in the optical viewfinder window, and a pattern of marks printed on the at least one transparent member and configured to assist a user of the digital camera in defining a photographing range of an object image. The at least one transparent member may be a single transparent member having a predetermined thickness and having the pattern of marks printed on opposing sides of the transparent member, or alternatively may be two or more transparent members each having a portion of the pattern of marks printed thereon. The position of the pattern of marks is determined according to the thickness of the transparent member or the distance between transparent members, and a field angle of a photographing lens of the photographic optical system.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the optical viewfinder unit is rotatable from a closed position wherein the optical viewfinder unit is in planar contact with the main surface, to an open position wherein the optical viewfinder unit is in the position substantially orthogonal to the main surface and in a plane substantially parallel to the lens surface, and the digital camera includes a power switch configured to be in an on state when the optical viewfinder is in the open position, and in an off state when the optical viewfinder is in the closed position.
In still another embodiment, the digital camera includes an operation unit having at least one operation button arranged on the main surface, wherein when the optical viewfinder unit is in the closed position, the at least one operation button is covered and protected from unintentional operation.
Finally, another embodiment of the digital camera includes a release button of an operation unit is arranged on an upper surface of a camera body. The upper surface of the camera body is substantially orthogonal to a surface where an object lens of a photographic optical system is exposed. An optical viewfinder unit is rotatable around an axis that is provided in the vicinity of the edge of the upper surface, connecting to the edge of the surface where the object lens of the photographic optical system is exposed. The optical viewfinder unit rotates approximately 90-degree angle from the position in which the optical viewfinder unit is in planar contact with the upper surface of the camera body. When the optical viewfinder unit is in planar contact with the upper surface of the camera body, the optical viewfinder unit covers at least the release button of the operation unit. The optical viewfinder unit rotates to the position in which the optical viewfinder unit vertically stands relative to the upper surface of the camera body so that the optical viewfinder unit is used for confirming a photographing range of an object image.